Means adapted to facilitate the recording and rendering of accounts.



PATENTED OUT. 11, 1904.

0. L. HAGGARD. MEANS ADAPTED T0 FAGILITATE THE RECORDING AND RENDERING' OF ACCOUNTS.

APPLICATION" FILED MAY 27, 1902.

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WITNESSES m UNITED STATES I Patented. October 11,1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LAFAYETTE HAGGARD, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

MEANS ADAPTED TO FACILITATE THE RECORDING AND RENDERING OF ACCOUNTS.

SPEGIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,036, dated. October 11, 1904. Application filed May 27, 1902. Serial No. 109,245. (No model.)

My invention relates to means adapted tofacilitate therecording and rendering of accounts, and has special reference to a device for this purpose which obviates the use of any account-book.

Among numerous objects attained by this invention and readily understood from the following specification and accompanying drawings, included as a part thereof, is the production of simplified and inexpensive means which greatly facilitate and expediate the recording and rendering of accounts and render the record thereof readily accessible for reference, and which embodies essential features of utility, adaptability, and general efficiency, reducing to a minimum the labor of compiling and recording accounts.

The above-mentioned and numerous other objects equally as desirable are attained by the construction, combination, and arrangements of parts as disclosed on the drawings set forth in this specification and succinctly pointed out in the appended claims.

WVith reference to the drawings filed herewith and bearing similar reference characters for corresponding parts throughout, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the account-holder indicated in open position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, on reduced scale, showing the device closed and indicating loose sheets clamped in the holder. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the index-tab employed on the holder. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the tab-supporter and clamp adapted to adjustably mount the index on the holder and reinforce the tab. Figs 5 is a side elevation of said supporter, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a suitable file adapted to receive the holders and arranged to permit of their use without removal therefrom.

This invention includes a holder, as 10, which is adapted to hold slips or papers relating to a particular piece of work or an account and is preferably formed with a suitable index-tab, as 11, upon which suitable characters may be placed by which the contents are identified. As now considered a number of these holders are employed in accounting, and each one is adapted to carry blank statements 12, on which undivided accounts are compiled from sales-slips or the like, and the holder is suitably formed to carry these statements or bill-heads on one side thereof and is arranged to be opened to receive duplicates of the completed statements which are placed therein for record.

In the present embodiment the holders 10 are used in combination with a file, as 14, preferably of suitable shape to sustain the holders in vertical position and resting on one side edge. This file is formed with open sides to give clearance to the operators hand, and one end wall thereof, as 15, is connected by suitable hinges, as 16, to the bottom 16, so that it can be swung outwardly to any desired angle, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6, and thereby allow the holders 10 to be brought to a reclining position to give access to the blank statements 12 without necessitating removalof the holders and still retain them in systematic arrangement while preparing the statements or placing papers in or removing them from the holders. e

The particular construction of a file with the above-described and other objects in view is reserved as subject-matter for an application to be subsequently filed by me for Letters Patent, the present application covering the combination with a file embodying such an adjustment ofa holder of the nature herein indicated.

The holders 10 are arranged in the file 1 1 in suitable plurality to afford space for placing sale-slips between the holders, which are 12 therefrom at the end of stated periods, after which the copied slips are removed from the file to make room for those rendered for succeeding sales.

In the present instance the holder includes a back portion or cover 17, preferably rectangular in outline and rendered of suitable stiff paper, cloth, or the like, a flap, as 18, of similar material and hinged to this back portion at one side edge,so as to fold thereupon and normally lie over a portion thereof and form therewith a pocket 24, adapted to receive the duplicates of statements or bills rendered, and a clamping-frame 19, rendered of open form and adapted to open and close relatively to the flap 18, so that the blank statements 12 may be readily placed upon the outer face of the flap and the clamping-frame, then closed to pinch the statements between the contiguous edges of the flap and clamp, and thereby secure same in the holder with the face exposed for writing, Fig. 2, and the flap acting as acomparatively hard backing to facilitate writing on the blank statement. As now considered the clamping-frame 19 is substantially equal in size to the back 17 and consists of three side pieces arranged with the ends of the oppositely-disposed sides hinged to the side edge of the back beyond the edges of the flap, so that said frame and flap can be brought against the same side surface of the back, and.

thereby serve to pinch the statements between their adjacent edges and said statements when so placed made to secure the flap in closed position relatively to the back. The clampingframe is conveniently secured in closed position by forming a pocket 20 along the free side edge thereof of suitable shape to receive the free side edge of the back, and this pocket is conveniently formed by folding an edge portion, as 21, of the material comprising the clamping-frame rearwardly over the back, and this portion is held in folded position by suitable movable clamps 22, consisting of spiral springs composed of resilient'wire bent to suitable form to engage the holder with the spirals pressing this folded edge and normally yieldingly holding the portion 21 upon the back. These clam'ps are suitably formed at the ends of a reinforcing-bar 23, adapted to rigidly support the index-tab 11, so that the holder may be readily handled thereby, and this bar is preferably formed with the end portions bent downwardly and slightly inwardly to form stems which terminate in spirals 22, whereby the clamps and the bar are composed of a single section of suitable wire.

The index-tab 11 is preferably formed of a rectangular section of paper or other suitable material bent midway upon itself, Fig. 3, and is suitably ad justably mounted on one edge of the holder by inserting the free edges between the convolutions of the spring-clamps 22 at opposite sides of the pocket 20 and is therey movably supported, so that when a number of the holders are resting together the index-tabs can be so adjusted as to unmask each other.

As preferably constructed the holder proper consists of a single rectangular section of suitable stiff paper or the like folded substantially midway the length and having the center main portion of one leaf cut free on three sides, so as to swing by said fold, and thereby conveniently form the flap 18 with the marginal edge of said leaf adapted as the v clamp 19 and the free side edge of said clamp is folded as heretofore set forth to conveniently form the pocket 20.

In the use now intended for the holder the statements 12 are placed therein under the clamp 17 in duplicate with a carbon-sheet therebetween, and the carbon copy made is placed back of flap 18 in pocket 24:, while the original is sent out. A holder thus formed renders the keeping of accounts exceedingly simple, as no books are required, and when a number of the holders are employed with a suitable file 16 the individual accounts are compactly arranged in systematic order and the sale-slips when assorted and placed between the holders are readily accessible for posting and duplicate statements thereof readily prepared and the carbon copies filed as the holders lie in place by simply opening the file, as heretofore set forth:

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is

1. The combination with a series of holders adapted to removably carry blank statements on one side face and arranged with duplicate statement-receiving pockets and having indextabs; of a file comprising a base of extended length, and end walls one of which is hinged to said base said file adapted to receive said holders loosely in vertical position, whereby they, divide the file into indexed compartmen ts for compiled statements deposited relatively to the markings on said tabs.

2. The combination with a series of holders arranged to removably carry blank statements or the like on one side face and having duplicate statement-receiving pockets and indextabs; of a file comprising a base of extended length, and end walls arranged to receive said holders loosely and normally support same in vertical position, whereby they divide the file into indexed compartments for compiled statements, sai'd file having one'end wall arranged to swing outwardly and downwardly to allow said holders to recline.

3. In a holder of the nature indicated; a substantiallyrectangular back, an open rectangular clamping-frame hinged to one edge of said back and a flap hinged on said back and fitting within said frame.

4. In a holder of the nature indicated; a substantially rectangular back, a three-sided open clamping-frame hinged by the end of opposite sides to one edge of said back, and a flap hinged to the edge of said back between the hinges of said frame.

5. In a holder of the nature indicated; a substantiall y rectangular back, a three-sided open clamping-frame hinged by the ends of opposite sides to one edge of said back, and a pocket arranged along the free edge of the frame to receive the edge of said back.

6. In aholder of the nature indicated; a substantially rectangular back, athree-sided open frame hinged by the ends of opposite sides to one edge of said back, a pocket arranged along the free edge of the frame to receive the edge of said back, and a flap hinged to the edge of said back between the hinges of said frame and fitting therein.

7 In a holder of the nature indicated; a substantially rectangular back, a three-sided open clamping-frame hinged by the ends of opposite sides to one side edge of said back, a marginal piece hinged to the free edge of said frame and forming a pocket therewith, a flap hinged to said back and fitting within said frame, and a spring-clamp arranged to normally yieldingly hold said marginal piece to the frame.

8. The combination with a holder of the nature indicated; of an index-tab reinforce comprising a bar having downwardly-extending stems, and a clamp at the free end of each stem comprising a spiral spring with the convolutions normally yieldingly forced together and adapted to slidably embrace the margin of said holder and also clamp the tab.

9. The combination with a holder of the nature indicated; of a detachable index-tab comprising a section folded upon itself, and a movable tab-support comprising a bar having downwardly-extending stems and a clamp at the free end of each stern comprising a spiral spring with the convolutions normally yieldingly forced together and adapted to slidably embrace the margin of said holder.

10. The combination with a holder of the nature indicated; of a detachable index-tab consisting of a section folded upon itself, and a movable tab-support comprising a single section of resilient wire having the ends bent downwardly to form stems and the end of each stem bent to form a spiral spring with the convolutions normally yieldingly forced together and adapted to embrace the margin of said holder'and engage the free edges of said tab with the fold thereof astride that portion of the wire between said stems.

11. The combination of a substantially rectangular back, a three-sided open frame hinged by the ends of its opposite sides to one side edge of said back, a marginal part along the free side edge of the frame and forming therewith a pocket adapted to receive the adjacent edge of said back, a flap hinged to the edge of the back opposite said pocket and fitting said frame, a removable index-tab, and a movable tab-support consisting of a bar havin g downwardly-extending stems and a clamp at the free end of each stem comprising a spiral spring with the convolutions normally yieldingly' forced together and adapted to slidably embrace the walls of said pocket and receive the edge of said tab.

Sign ed at Seattle,Washington, this 15th day of May, 1902.

CHARLES LAFAYETTE HAGGARD:

Witnesses:

RUTH I. WATSON, MARGARET THOMAS. 

